


Mixtape

by P4Player



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, No beta reader, Not too fluffy, Not too shippy, Tags to be added, We post and die like men, maybe other characters mentioned?, maybe some aus, maybe some headcanons, nothing too crazy though, slice of life-y
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24980644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/P4Player/pseuds/P4Player
Summary: Willowson snippets! Short, self contained slices of life featuring Wilson and Willow. I'm always looking for inspiration, so be sure to share your suggestions!
Relationships: Willow/Wilson (Don't Starve)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	1. Tumbleweeds

The tumbleweed was expertly dismantled into small twigs suitable for fire kindling, which were packed up alongside the dry grass that had been entangled within it. Nothing too valuable this time, but Wilson knew the next one could contain anything. Today, they were hunting for gears.

Wilson stood up to catch another tumbleweed as they blew across the desert landscape covering this part of the island. He grumbled as a quick look-over revealed another one, empty of anything interesting. The sun seemed hotter here, and he had been at this for hours. As the scientist broke the tumbleweed apart, a shadow appeared on the ground in front of him. 

"Hey, Wildork!" Willow greeted happily. The sun and fruitless work seemed to do little to dampen her spirits. She held a tumbleweed in her hand up to her face and made an exaggerated scowl behind it. "Who am I?" 

Wilson could see absolutely no resemblance to anyone they both knew. 

"A spider?" he guessed.

She scoffed at his reply. "I'm YOU! In winter!" 

Wilson found the comparison between his luscious-yet-manly beard and that ragged tumbleweed quite rude, and told his companion as much.

"I find your comparison between my luscious-yet-manly beard and that ragged tumbleweed quite rude."

"Whatever, nerd lord," she chirped as she broke the tumbleweed into pieces, completely unrepentant and not even looking at his expertly disapproving frown.

Not that he held it for long. She didn't see it, but Wilson smiled at her joke in spite of himself, and found his spirits lightened. Perhaps, after all, his beard did get the slightest bit shaggy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ideally, all these words would be replaced with a single panel of art. I believe the joke would land better. Alas, I'm no artist, so you'll have to imagine Wilson's tumbleweed beard yourself.


	2. Science Machine

"So, how's this tool maker work?" Willow asked. "I need a new spear." Wilson, already in his straw roll by the fire, sighed.

"It's much too _scientific_ to explain _how_ it all works," he mumbled, closing his eyes. "I'll show you how to make a spear in the morning."

"I want one now!" Willow insisted. "What about this other one?" She tried one of the levers.

Wilson knew she was referring to the Science Machine, a sort of prototype for the more advanced Alchemy Engine. "Hmm, well," he started. "That one actually isn't... it doesn't... that one mostly... helps spur my creativity."

"It doesn't do anything?"

"No."

"Oh, my God," Willow began chuckling. "You built a f#*king _fidget cube_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Modern!Willow AU in which nothing important changes. Always been a headcanon of mine that Science Machines are fidget cubes... I mean, just look at them. Anyway, I promise something cuter in the next chapter!


	3. Monster Meat

"We can't eat monster meat." Willow had said something similar every time Wilson tried to cook the foul, purple meat.

She wasn't exactly wrong: The last time, Wilson had rambled about "counteracting the toxin" with mushrooms and had cooked up a mystery dish that made them both severely sick, and Willow was loathe to relive the experience. 

"We should just throw it out."

"No, Willow!" Wilson exclaimed, obviously too excited at the prospect of science. "I'm certain there's a way to make it palatable, and we can't afford to not take advantage of every food source available to us." 

"Really, Wilson?" Willow looked unimpressed by his reasoning, arms crossed. "Here's some science for you: Every time we eat monster meat, we get poisoned!" she stated. Wilson frowned. It sounded a lot like he was losing his only other test subject...

"But this time is different! I'm sure of it! No mushrooms! You see, this time I'm simply attempting to dilute the toxin, not counteract it, and there's only one piece of monster meat, and-" Wilson explained.

"And it's going to make monster lasagna!" Willow interrupted. Wilson sighed, feeling defeated. There was every chance Willow was right.

"...Look, you can eat something else. Just promise me you'll try it when I finally get it right?" 

Willow pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, a classic move showing she was debating something. She had heard the defeat in the scientist's voice, and despite still believing her arguments were pretty solid, she felt herself wavering. Maybe something deeper was at play here...

"No, Wilson..." she started softly. "We're in this hell world together and I've gotta trust you. I'll eat it."

Wilson could have almost shed a tear of happiness knowing he wouldn't be dining alone tonight. 

Instead, he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gives willow emotional intuition because wilson is an ex-recluse who needs more time to learn good communication* there that's her character growth
> 
> OKAY so this is like my favorite, my baby, the one I wanted to originally write and publish here. It's not perfect, partly because my writing is rusty and partly because it's so short, but I love the general idea of it. Willow learning to trust others/WIlson in spite of the risk of getting hurt (through monster meat LOL) through the harsh lessons of the Constant... actually just the idea that struggling to survive in the Constant teaches all the survivors something *chef's kiss* love it. If I ever wrote a longer story with actual chapters, this would totally be a scene in it.


	4. Tent

Wilson awoke to the scent of smoke. Not alarming. To him, it was a comforting smell, that of campfires keeping the darkness away, of brewing science experiments... of his Constant companion, Willow...

Wilson opened his eyes and found the world aflame.

\---

"You lit our tent on fire?!"

"I said I was sorry!"

"I'm not looking for an apology, Willow. I'm looking for an explanation."

"..."

"I was inside! Why would you do that?"

"I wasn't trying to kill you..." she mumbled.

Less than silence stretched between both parties.

"Please?" he inquired.

"I was scared, okay? It was all going so well! Nothing ever goes well for me! I felt like I had to burn it all down and run away again 'cuz that's all I know! But when I ran away, I felt bad! The farther I ran, the more I wanted to come back, but I knew I couldn't..." a couple of tears swelled in Willow's eyes. 

"You could have just told me." 

"I'm sorry! I'll... I'll fix it! I'll leave!" Willow cried. Wilson frowned. 

"What you did endangered my life, as well as your own. The whole camp could have burned down."

Willow hung her head lower.

"But I forgive you."

"Huh?"

"You're my only companion in this hellish world, Willow. I don't want to lose that- I don't want to lose you- because of this."

"...Thank you, Wilson."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Willow gets nervous and sets a fire and I stretch Wilson's patience beyond what is probably believable. That's all I've got for now, so if you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them!


End file.
